Regulator



Nov. 24, 1953 H. c. OTIS ETYAL, REGULATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1; 1948 v gm/um Herbal! C 0175 do/m C. Luccous H. C. OTIS ET AL Nov. 24, I953 REGULATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 1. 1948 Herbzrz C. Otis dohn C. 'Luccous Patented Nov. 24, 1953 REGULATOR Herbert G. Otis, Dallas, and John C. Luccous, Midland, Tom; said Luccous assignoi' to said Otis Application June 1, 1948, Serial No. 30,326

14 Claims. (01. 1662) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in regulators and more particularly to regulators for oil and as wells.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our co-pending application filed August 10, 1.943, Serial No. 498,070, now abandoned, which was a division of our application Serial No. 283,004, fi d u ust 2, 1939, which was formally abandoned September 18, 1943.

One object of the invention is to provide a bottom hole regulator, which may be used in coaction with a suitable surface control, and which is provided with improved flow regulating means, variable in accordance with the rate of withdrawal or discharge of the well fluids from the Well, whereby such fluids may be delivered at the surface at a pressure which permits a surface flow regulation without freezing.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved bottom hole flowing fluid regulator, of the character described, having improved flow control means, whereby a substantially or relatively constant pressure differential or pressure drop is maintained across said how means re gardless of variations in the flow of fluid from the well.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bottom hole regulator employing a fixed seat and a coacting valve member disposed to be displaced from the seat by a flow of well fluid through the seat; together with resistive means for controlling the movement of the valve. whereby a predetermined range of pressure drop across the valve and seat is maintained under varying flow conditions, thus permitting a flexible rate of withdrawal of well fluids from the well without danger of freezing at, or beyond, the sur-- face well connections.

An important object of the invention is to provide a regulator of the character described having a positive shut-off.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a regulator as herein set forth which has a positive seating valve so arranged as to give a substantially fluid-tight seal when seated.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing. wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an proved bottom hole regulator, constructed in. ac-

cordance with the invention and illustrating the regulator mounted in a well tubing, the valve being shown in its closed position,

Fig. 2 is a similar View, with the valve in its open or unseated position,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view, taken on the line 33 of Fig. l

Fig. 4 is a partial isometric view of the valve sleeve,

Fig. 5 is an isometric view illustrating the split guide sleeve through which the valve stem is movable,

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a modified form of the invention and showing the valve seated,

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 and showing the valve open,

Fig. 8 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 8-t of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 9 is a partial isometric view of the valve sleeve.

In the drawing, the letter B indicates a portion of the usual well tubing. This tubing may have an ordinary surface choke (not shown) at its upper end. The numeral 50 indicates a tubular body or support or conductor which has an internally screw-threaded box or socket it at its upper end adapted to receive the screwthreaded shank tea on the lower end of a running and supporting tool A, similar to the tool shown in the patent to Otis, No. 1,972,791, issued September 4, 1934, and as shown in the aforesaid copending application. Only a portion of the tool A is illustrated in the drawings of this application'.

A retaining collar 43 is screwed onto the shank l 80. above the upper end of the body 5i! and supports a spacing ring 32, which in turn supports the lowermost packing cup ii carried by the man-- drel IQ of said running tool. It is of course necessary to pack or seal off the tubing above the inlet of the body which will be hereinafter described, in order for the regulator to function.

The body 5!} has a bore 55 which communicates at its upper end with the bore of the mandrel iii of the running tool A. The upper portion of this bore is reduced or tapered at 52, and just below, the bore is screw-threaded to receive a tubular valve sleeve 53, which sleeve has an axial cylindrical bore 54, as is shown in detail in Fig. 4. The upper endof the bore 54 is formed with. upwardly flared grooves or recesses 55. Below the sleeve 53 the body is provided with inlet ports er for admitting the upwardly flowing well fluid.

The lower end of the body 50 is closed by a split plug or guide collar 56, which collar is threaded into the lower end of the bore of said body. The bore of the guide collar 56 is provided with vertical guide ribs 51. A valve member 58 is slidable vertically within the valve sleeve 53 and, when said member is within the bore 54 of said sleeve, a flow therethrough is shut off, thus the bore 5 below the grooves 55 forms, in effect, a seat for the valve member. When the valve member 58 moves upwardly within the bore and opposite the tapered or flared grooves 55, a flow from below the valve sleeve and upwardly through the tubing is possible. Above the valve member 58 a metering pin 59 may be formed, although this pin is not essential to the invention. An elongate stem 6!) depends from the valve member 58 and extends downwardly through the guide collar 55, the lower portion of said stem projecting some distance below said collar. A stop 6! is formed on the stem and is adapted to engage the upper end of the guide ribs 51 to limit the downward movement of the valve member. A similar stop 62 is adapted to engage the lower end of said guide ribs to limit the upward movement of said member.

The lower end of the stem 60 is screw-threaded as shown at 63 and an elongate sleeve 64 surrounds the stem above the threaded portion. The sleeve is held in place on the stem by suitable lock nuts 65. A coiled spring 66 surrounds the sleeve 64 and the stem 60 and is confined between the underside of the guide collar 56 and a flange 64a formed on the lower end of the sleeve 64. Manifestly, the spring exerts its pressure to constantly urge the valve stem and valve member downwardly toward its lowermost position, whereby the valve member 58 is urged into the bore 54 of the valve sleeve, which is its closed position. By adjusting the lock nuts 55' on the stem, the compression on the spring 66 may be varied.

The ports 61 are located in the lower portion of the body just above the guide collar or plug 55. Thus, when the device is set within the well tubing B, the well fluids may enter the bore' 5l of the body 50 below the valve seat. This well: 1

pressure acts upwardly against the valve member 58 and also against the effective cross-sec tional area of the valve stem 50. This pressure serves to urge the valve member upwardly toward an open position, which movement is resisted by the fluid pressure in the tubing B above the assembly and by the compression of the coiled spring 66.

It will be obvious that the differential pressure at which the valve 53 will be moved upwardly from its seat is substantially controlled by the compression of the coiled spring 65. Thus, by adjusting the compression of this spring, a predetermined range of pressure differentials will be required to unseat the valve to permit a flow through the bore 54 and the grooves 55. For example, and in no sense a limitation, if the spring 56 were compressed so that the expansive force thereof, acting downwardly through the medium ofthe valve, was equal to a downward pressure of 1200 pounds per square inch acting downwardly on the valve, and if there were a fluid pressure of 800 pounds per square inch, in the tubing and regulator above said valve acting downwardly thereon, then a bottom hole or fluid pressure determine the fluid pressure differential at which the valve will open, the spring force alone does not determine the pressure from below the valve which is necessary to open said valve to permit upward fluid flow, but coacts with the downward fluid pressure above the valve in such determination. However, it follows that the expansive force of the spring, resulting from its compression, controls the pressure differential, so by varying the compression of the spring, as above set forth, the pressure differential at which the valve opens is altered.

By varying the compression of the spring 56. it is possible to accurately control the differential pressure necessary to operate or move the valve and thus control the pressure drop across the assembly. Under varying flow and pressure conditions, it is obvious that the valve 58 will automatically adjust itself relative to the sleeve 53 to vary the rate of flow upwardly through the tubing Band tov the surface, but, at all times, a substantially fixed differential or pressure drop is maintained across. the assembly, which drop is maintained regardless of the rate of flow, under normal flowing conditions.

The maintenance of a substantially fixed pres sure drop across the-assembly assures that the well fluids are delivered to the surface at some pressure or pressures within a predetermined range of pressures, which is substantially low enough to permit surface regulation by means of the surface choke C, shown in our oopending application aforesaid, without danger of freezing. To further explain, assuming the Well fluids are delivered to the surface at 1000 pounds pressure per square inch, at a predetermined rate of how. then if thesurface control is adjusted to reduce the rate of flow, a change in pressure conditions in the tubing above the regulator assembly occurs, and the valve 53 automatically adjusts i self to further restrict the flow through the bore 54 so as to maintain a predetermined pressure drop thereacross, with the result that the well fluids are continuously delivered to the surfaceat a predetermined reduction in pressure, and thus regardless of the rate of withdrawal of well fluids under normal flowing conditions, the pressure at which saidv well fluids are. delivered to the surface. maintained sumciently low to obviate freezing.

Since the regulator assembly is set within the lower'end portion of the'well, advantage. is taken of the relatively high sub-surface temperatures whereby freezing at the assembly due to expanding gas is precluded. The device of course may be quickly lowered into the well tubing and fixed at any desired point therein, being capable of being under'pressure on a flexible line or cable,

While'it is true that the flowing pressure at the surface of the well will vary as the bottom hole" pressure varies, it is pointed out that by holding a considerable baokpressure on the well, such as the regulator is designed to do, its volume delivered would be well within the capacity of the well. Further, the holding of back pressure on. the well will tend to flatten out variations in bottom hole pressure, and. flowing pressure at the surface would remain substantiallyconstant. Obviously, as gas or oil is withdrawn from the reservoir, a pressure drop will occur. This pressure drop would be so gradual in most cases that it would not be noticeable over a period of Weeks or even months. In actual operation if a given range of surface pressures are desired, this range would be maintained by -periodie temevai regulator: for readjustment as dictated: by normal decline of bottom hole pressui Figs; eto 9' inclusive we have illustrated pie ferred 'Ior-mof. the invention'. Under some fiowing andpressiire coiitiitiens i-t is desirable to pro-' vide a substantially iiuid-tight seal when the valve isseated-or closed.- lathe-form illustrated i'n Fig l, the borett of the valve sleeve constitutes the valve seat and when the' valve-menu her 58 is pulled downinto said bore, the 'valv'e is seated or closed; -Sincethere must:be asliding fit of the Valve-member 58 in t'he core; "a' sufficien't elearance between these parts is necessary to make them operable. wh-ile this clearanh'e be only a few thousandths of an inch it is ample te permit afluid lealr,--particul'arhv at liiglrkpres suresw-Such-a leak may beef a m-inor nature and therefore nnder some well conditions would be of little'consequence, however underother well conditions such a lel'alt would be objectionable and interfere with the-use ofthe r egulatort In the preferred form the member ltlis similar to the member 53 in that-it has a meterin pin 5Si',-but which, like the pin 59, may be omitted. The valve sleeve 53 is replaced by a valve sleeve H which has an axial bore 72, terminating short of its ends. At the upper end of the bore 12, a counterbore lt extends to the top of the sleeve and the taperedor inclined grooves 55 are formed in the cylindrical wall of said counterbore: At the bottom of the'counterbore l3 an'annular, inclined valve seat M is provided and the bore l2 extends downwardly from this seat. The

valvemernber iii has at its "base or bottom, an

annular valve face 15, inclined complementary to the-seat it so-as to firmly engage on the latter and provide a rnetal-to-r'netal contact, wl'iereb a substantially fluidtight'seal or shut-off is pro 'videdj It will beseen that while-the-t'a1ve"niemher has a" sliding fit in the cou'nt'erbore, it is not retractable into the bore 'lz, like the member 5 5 ltwillb'e -noted that the grooves 55 terminate at their lowerends, short or the seat 'M "(Fie'i- '9) and them-Wises an annular 'surface panel 14' 4 the counterbore between F the valve and -the lower ends otters grooves?-when-' the valve is fully' seated, as-is shcwn in'Fig. -6,'-the greatest diametrical portion of 'the valve member 'll) is 'closely'surrounded 'by said panel and thus the positive-valve seating is made more effeotiven The valve member it is integral with the upper end of the reduced shankor neck ie of the valve stem Be. The shank being oi'less diameter than the diameter of the bore it,'sufii'ciem: flowspace is provided for the fluid entering through the inlet ports ti; At the'base of 'the'shanlz lfi/ an inclined, annular shoulder l? isforine'd ontlie stem' and the sleeve is has a sump is at the bottom of the bore l2. The shoulder ii is low "enough'on the stem to give the shank iii-ample length toassure a free fluid "passage underall positions o'if'the valve. Since stop means, hereinafter described, is'provided for limiting the upward ti'a'velof the stem,- the shoulder isneverclo'se enough to the sump to restrict the new through" the bore 13. The'lower end of't'he-ste'in iiil is' screwethreaded and the lock nuts--65aremounted:thereonrand support a sleeve l9 which is similarto tha sleeve 6 2. but is longer because it engagesthe: axial flange at on the bottom of the collar-sets limit the upward travel of the valve stem and ivalve member. By this arrangement the static-Minis eliminated an because of t e positive 's'atingiiof the valve member, the stop 6 ibecomes 'unfiecesfsalty Since tl'ief stops 6 l and 82 are 'not -used, the.) collar! 55 is --'made in on'e mesa A coiled springfll similar' to: the spring 66" surrounds the sleeve 79 with its upper end disposedaround the flangetu anditslower endsupported on an annu- Iar iiangaBZ a-t the bottom of said sleeve. "The operation of the preferred form of regu latoris substantially the same as that shown in Figs; '1 to 5 inclusive. However, the "upward inovement-of the valve member (is is limitedby the engagem'ent-of the upper end of the sleeve 73 with the bottom of the flange 33. The. upper end of the sleeve l9, must under all spring ad-i justments; be spaceda limited distance fromthe flange 80, so that the valve member '50 cannot, be movedhighl enough .to jamb inthe tapered bore EZTFurtherJit'iS desirable to limit this vertical movement to-an'extent whereby the base or .iace portion of 'thevalve member will remain in the counterbore "'53; when the valve is fully open, as is shown in Figtii. In. describing the operation ofthe valve memberfill it is considered that the iace lfiinoves. into andlout-of the annular seat i l. The foregoing description of the invention isexplanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materialsas well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without cleparting from the spirit of the invention. What we claim and desire to secure'hy Letters Patent is: 1. A well fluid new regulator including, a tubular support having a well fluid inlet and positionable within awell tubing, means for exteriorly sealing off the support in a well tubing, the'sup port having aflowpassage extendingtthere through-frorn its'i-nletion well fluids; a valve sleeve mounted in the passageor the support above the inlet and-having a bore and acounterbore the'reth-roug'h and. a valve seatbetween said holes, the counterbore of the sleeve outwardly of the seat'havingfiaredflow channelaan elongate valve 'niov'a'ble longitudinally in saidcou-nterbore toward and" from said seat and having its speesite ends eirposed to" fluid pressures above and below saidj-seat, and yield'ahle resistivemeans set-to-hold the-talvesea'ted until a predetermined pressureglilre 'ential across the valve "is "estab lishedand adapted to yield to fluid flow variations to regulate the upward flow through said. sleeve. 21 A well flui'd'fiow-regulator asset forth in clairn 1, and means forlirniting theupward and downward movement of the valve. 3. "A well fluid flow regulator including, a, tubular' support'having a well fluid inlet and posi tionable within a well tubing, means for exteriorly sealing off the support in a well tubing, the support having a: flow-passage extending therethrough from its inlet for well fluids, a "valve sleeve mountedin the passage of the support above the inlet and having a bore therethrough provided avith a Lvalv; seatand fiareddlow channelsbeyo'nd' said. -seat', an "elongate valve ,movablelongitudinally of'said seat and said guidecollar in the support through which the stem passes, a restrictingsleeve on the'stem engaging the collar to limit the upward movement of the valve, and a coiled spring on the sleeve engaging the collar, the sleeve being set on the stern tocompress said. springto resist opening'of the valverandao 'holdrsaid valve :seateid until a predetermined pressure diiierential across the valve is established and adapted to yield to fluid flow variations to regulate the upward flow through said sleeve.

4. A well fluid flow regulator including, a tubular body having a flow passage therethrough and positionable in a well flow tubing, a valve sleeve mounted in the flow passage of the body and having a bore providing an elongate valve seat and upwardly flared flow passages in the bore wall at the upper end of the sleeve communicating with and forming a continuation or" the bore of the sleeve, a valve member slidably fitting and movable longitudinally of the bore of the sleeve, the valve seat and the flared flow passages for controlling fluid flow through the sleeve and having its ends exposed to upstream and downstream fluid pressures in the tubular body, resilient means acting on the valve member to regulate its movements in the bore of the sleeve so as to restrict fluid flow through the sleeve and flow passage and to create and maintain a predetermined substantially constant reduction in pressure of the fluid flowing through the sleeve and flared flow passages regardless of variations in such flow, and means on thevalve member for adjusting the resilient means so as to control the setting of the latter and thereby obtain a predetermined pressure reduction, in combination with sealing means externally on the body for sealing off said body in the tubing and for causing flow through the passage of said body.

5. A. device of the character described for automatically regulating the flow of fluids through the eduction tubing of a well including, a tubular body positionable in the tubing and having a bore of uniform diameter providing a fluid passage therethrough and having one of its ends formed with a plurality of spaced outwardly divergent inwardly facing grooves providing a series of fluid passages communicating with the fluid passage through the bore of the body, and a valve disposed within the bore of the body and movable therein above and below the inner ends of said outwardly divergent grooves for controlling the flow of well fluids through said body, in combination with sealing means externally on the body for sealing off said body in the tubing and for causing flow through the passage of said body.

6. A device of the character described for automatieall regulating the flow of fluids through the eduction tubing 01? a well including, a tubular body positionable in the tubing and having an elongate fluid passage of uniform diameter providing a valve seat, said tubular body having one of its ends formed with a plurality of alternately spaced radially extending grooves and fins providing respectively a series of fluid passages communicating and leading from the first named fluid passage of the tubular body and a plurality of uniformly spaced valve guide members, and a valve slidably disposed within the first named fluid passage of the body for restricting the flow of fluid therethrough and engageable with said flns so as to be guided thereby in its movement past the inner ends of said second named series of fluid passages, in combination with sealing means externally on the body for sealing ofl said body in the tubing and for causing flow through the passage of said body.

7. A device of the character described for automatically regulating the flow of fluids through the eduction tubing of a well including, a tubular body positionable in the tubing and having a bore of uniform diameter providing a fluid passage therethrough and an elongate valve seat, spaced valve guide members carried by one end of the tubular body and extending axially outwardly thereof and aligned with the elongate valve seat, and an elongate valve slidably mounted in the valve seat of the tubular body to close said bore when positioned within said valve seat and adapted to be guided by said guide members when the valve is moved to a position beyond the end of the elongate valve seat to permit the passage of fluid through the tubular body, in combination with sealing means externally on the body for sealing off said body in the tubing and for causing flow through the passage of said body.

8. A device of the character described for automatically regulating the flow of fluids through the eduction tubing of a well including, a tubular body positionable in the tubing and having a bore of uniform diameter providing a fluid passage therethrough and an elongate valve seat, valve guide means having a substantially laterally extending fluid passage carried by one end of the tubular body, said guide means extending axially of and being aligned with the elongate valve seat, and an elongate valve slidably mounted in the valve seat of the tubular body to close said bore when positioned within said valve seat and adapted to be guided by said guide means when the valve is moved to a position beyond the elongate valve seat to permit the passage of fluid through the tubular body and thence through the laterally extending fluid passage, in combination with sealing means externally on the body for sealing ofl said body in the tubing and for causing flow through the passage of said body.

9. A well fluid flow regulator including, a tubular conductor positionable in a well tubing and having a flow passage therethrough, means on the conductor for sealing off the tubing around said conductor and preventing upward flow between the tubing and the conductor, a valve sleeve mounted in the conductor and having a bore communicating with the conductor passage, said sleeve bore having a valve seat portion and flared flow channels above the seat portion, a valve member movable through channel portion of the sleeve bore into and out of the seat portion thereof and having upper and lower areas exposed to the flowing Well fluids, resilient means for mov ing the valve member to a closed position in the seat portion of the valve sleeve bore, said resilient means being set to resist opening of the valve member until a predetermined flowing pressure is exerted against the lower area of the valve member, and means for limiting the movement of the valve member with respect to its seat.

10. A well fluid flow regulator including, a tubular support having a well fluid inlet and adapted to be mounted within a well tubing, means on the support for sealing off the tubing around said support and preventing upward flow between the tubing and the support, the support having a flow passage for well fluids extending therethrough from its inlet, a valve sleeve mounted in the flow passage of the support above the inlet and having a bore communicatin with the support passage, said sleeve bore having a valve seat portion and flared flow channels above the seat portion, an elongate valve member movable longitudinally through the channel portion of the sleeve bore into and out of the seat portion thereof and having its opposite ends exposed to fluid pressures above and below said seat, and yieldable resistive means set to hold the valve seated until a predetermined pressure differential across the valve is established and then to yield to permit the valve member to become unseated while exerting a substantially constant force on the unseated valve member urging it toward seated position so that fluid flow variations through the valve can be accommodated While maintaining the pressure differential across the valve within a predetermined range.

11. A well fluid flow regulator as set forth in claim 10, and stop means for limiting the up and down movement of the valve.

12. A well fluid flow regulator including, a tubular conductor positionable in a well tubing and having a flow passage therethrough, sealing means on the conductor for packing off the conductor in the tubing to cause the well fluid to flow through the conductor, a valve sleeve in the conductor having a bore communicating with the conductor passage and also having a positive valve seat in said bore and outwardly flared flow channels in the bore wall of the valve sleeve above the seat, a valve member movable through the channeled portion of the sleeve bore into and out of the seat of the sleeve and positively engageable with said seat to close the bore of the valve sleeve, said valve member having oppositely facing upper and lower fluid pressure actuatable surfaces exposed to the well fluids flowing through the conductor passage, resilient means for moving the valve member to a closed position in the seat of the sleeve, said means being set to resist opening until a predetermined flowing pressure is exerted against the lower area of said valve member, and. means for limiting the movement of the valve member with respect to its seat.

13. A well fluid flow regulator including, a tubular conductor positionable in a well tubing and having a flow passage therethrough, sealing means on the conductor packing 011 the conductor in the tubing to cause the well fluid to flow through the conductor, a valve sleeve member in the conductor having a bore communicating with the conductor passage and also having outwardly flared flow channels in the wall of said bore and a valve seat in said bore inwardly of said channels, a valve member, one of said members being movable to positively seat the valve memher in the seat of the sleeve to close said bore,

the movable member having oppositely facing upper and lower fluid pressure actuatable surfaces respectively exposed to the well fluids above and below said valve seat, and expansible means for moving the movable member to valve seating position, said means being set to resist valve opening until a predetermined flowing pressure is exerted against the lower fluid pressure actuatable surface of said movable member, the movable member having a limited movement with respect to the other member.

14. A well fluid flow regulator including, a tubular support having a well fluid inlet and positionable within a well tubing, the support having a flow passage extending therethrough from its inlet for well fluids, a valve sleeve mounted in the passage of the support above the inlet and having a bore of uniform diameter therethrough and a valve seat in its lower portion, said bore providing an elongate cylindrical valve seat above said first mentioned seat and circumferentially spaced guide means above said cylindrical valve seat separated by fluid conductor passages in the wall of the valve sleeve, an elongate valve movable longitudinally in said bore toward and from said first mentioned seat and along said cylindrical seat to limit flow through the valve sleeve, said valve having its opposite ends exposed to fluid pressures above and below said first mentioned seat, and yieldable means set to hold the valve seated on said first mentioned valve seat until a predetermined pressure differential across the valve is established and adapted to yield to fluid flow variations to regulate the upward flow through said sleeve.

HERBERT C. OTIS. JOHN C. LUCCOUS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Re. 20,546 391,431 1,737,196 1,972,791 2,177,779 2,245,271 2,256,704 2,373,034 

